Sunday, July 30, 2017

I
knew when I walked in the Coffee Street Records Studio in Reidland, Kentucky for us to begin recording Palestine
blues, there were not going to be a lot of effects or for that matter
even overdubbing. When we had rehearsed the songs three-piece to work
them up with the rhythm section, the songs already sounded so good, I
decided to go ahead and just stay with the three piece all the way
through the recording. That's just the way the message of the songs came
though the best.

I
did use several guitars to achieve what I wanted to on the songs and to
be honest I don't know if I can remember all of the guitars used! Here
are the ones I remember: A Gresh Brian Setzer Edition, a Paul Reed Smith
30th anniversary, G&L Bluesboy, Fender Blacktop Jaguar, 79 anniversary Strat which want
to belonged to a friend of mine, Forrest Hurd, a Phil Jones/Steve
Uncapher Lower Broadcaster, a custom telecaster which was built for me
by a friend, Brian Campell, and an Eric Clapton Blackie.

As
for the amps, the main one I used was a 1970 fender twin silver face,
although for many of the leads I used an Orange micro dark into a Seismic 2 x
12 or 1 x 12 cabinet. On "Bout Time," for the lead guitar, I used a
Fender Super Champ 2X head into a 2 x 12 cabinet.

Throughout
the entire album, I did not use many FX at all. I think all I used was a
Fulltone OCD and a Boss Tremolo. Any other affects were done
downstream in ProTools.

Really,
the only time I remember trying to stretch for a little bit of an
unusual tone, was on Don't Need No Devil," when I was applying some
techniques which I had seen Daniel Lanois do. I always liked how he got
such ethereal tones.

So that's it. Kept it really simple. Did not want a lot of layering or effects getting in the way of the songs messages. Sometimes, "less is more," and I think it really was on this project. I enjoyed it so much, I think I'll continue keeping things uber simple!

Palestine
Blues,
the new album from Lew Jetton & 61 South is a personally poignant
and sometimes brutal memoir of a 10 year period in Jetton's life
which included struggles with alcohol, drugs, depression,
joblessness, frustration and a spiritual tug of war.

“Palestine
is the community in which I live but it's also a place of historic
significance for being sacred, while at the same time, a place of
conflict. That's kind of where I have been for years. I know a lot
of blues is happy and uplifting. This is not. I'm OK with that. I
wanted it to be real blues, in the emotional sense and that's what
Palestine
Blues
is.” Lew Jetton

Palestine
Blues
is pure emotion. Recorded 3 piece for the most part with just Lew on
guitar, with bass and drums, so the essence of the songs could show
through. No posing. Just the raw feeling, so you really can feel the
frustration, the helplessness, the anger, the sadness, that are a way
of life for so many today.

Track
Listing:

Will
I Go To Hell (4:11)

Oh
My My (3:04)

For
the Pain (4:27)

Mexico
(5:09)

Sold
Us Out (3:45)

Drinking
Again (4:03)

Don't
Need No Devil (4:10)

Christ
Have Mercy (3:53)

Drama
(2:49)

BoutTime
(2:32)

All
songs written by Robert Lewis Jetton (BMI, Brooks Chapel Music)
Copyright 2017, All Rights Reserved

“Very
original. Very dark. Think Gary Clark Jr meets Townes Van Zandt.
Maybe the most REAL blues I've heard in a long time, because it deals
with real life and real problems so many of us are facing today. Not
a bunch of superficial BS. It's about real pain. The problems the
working families and working poor are dealing with. This one tells
it straight “in your face.” Luke Williams, WKYQ

“I've
played him on my shows in the past, but this CD takes it up another
explosive notch!! “Cap'n
Barney, MAYFLOWER HILL BLUES, WMHB

“A
powerful collection combining creative original lyrics and
instrumentation with traditional and contemporary blues
themes.....gets better every time I play it!” Brion
Foster, KYRS

Palestine
Blues
follows on the heels of Lew Jetton & 61 South's 2016 release
Rain,
which spent more than 6 months of the Roots Music Report's
Contemporary Blues Chart, receiving extensive airplay worldwide
and finishing #36 in their year end list of all the Top 200
releases.